Air Raid
by Pen to Paper Writer
Summary: Richard Castle has been an NTSB accident investigator for the last twenty years. He is sent to a major mid-air collision in the mid-west and slowly finds things that don't add up. He meets a flight attendant named Kate and that's when things get really weird for him. He pushes for answers and starts to lose it in the process. Will he accept what he finds? Can he? Rick C. Kate B.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

3018 is not a year that you'd want to live in. The air is hardly breathable and most everyone will not survive much longer. The medical staff tells them that the entire population should cease to exist in about two years or less. That's the human race as we know it. Kate had been one of the elite. She and her crew of four other women had always received the best medicine, the best quarters, and always had the best food to eat and clothes to wear. But she herself was slowly dying due to the current condition of the remaining breathable air. Being here made her sterile. Due to the other environmental issues she no longer had the ability to give any man a child because she was born this way. This is what she hated the most because she longed to be a mother one day. She knew it was impossible but she never gave up hope that maybe one day...

* * *

 _Present day..._

United flight thirty-five an Airbus 380 was on final approach to MSP (Minneapolis/St. Paul International) heading in from the West at an altitude of 4300 feet and had contacted the tower for landing instructions.

* * *

Delta flight eight eighty heavy, a Boeing 777 was also approaching from the West at the altitude of 4900 feet and descending quickly.

* * *

Don Jans was tired and it showed. He pinched his fingers together at the ridge on the top of his nose to ward off a pounding headache that was now becoming a lot stronger behind his eyes. He was one of three air traffic controllers that were working all the commercial flights in and out of MSP and the private planes as well. They were all tired and they just now started their twelfth hour on duty no amount of coffee would help him now. Looking at his screen he instructed the United flight to turn left and descend to 3000 feet. Delta 880 asked for landing instructions too and Jams had located him on the screen in front of him giving him the exact same coordinates for landing as he gave United 35 completely forgetting about the present location of United 35.

* * *

The pilot of United 35 flew the plane knowing that they'd be on the ground in the next ten minutes. Flying from Miami was the end of his run for the day soon he'd be at home hoisting a cold one. Proximity alarms started to sound in the cockpit of United 35. _"Collision Alert, Collision Alert"_ The co-pilot looked out the window just past the pilot and noticed the landing gear of a Boeing 777 passing the side of their plane.

"Don, go down, down now!"

"Jesus Christ, we hit him." Don responded to his co-pilot.

"Minneapolis Center this is United 35, we are declaring an emergency we hit another aircraft. It looked like a triple seven…"

The navigator told him that number three and four engines were shutting down and he was cutting fuel to those engines.

"Minneapolis we're going down! I repeat we're going down!"

"God how much of the wing is left?" The co-pilot asked because they were starting to dive almost straight down.

"Dave, go back and see what we have left of the wing."

"Okay." The navigator removed his headset and got up to head back to the cabin. When he got there, he noticed something that was not right. All the passengers looked like they were already dead. Burned to be exact. He turned and ran back to the cockpit and by the time he was able to report only the worst of what he has seen, the plane hit the ground and broke into three main pieces exploding on impact.

After Delta flight 880 collided with United 35, the impact had torn the starboard engine from the wing and the pilot had no way to stop the thrust from the port engine causing them to spin and then barrel roll into a cornfield close to the interstate. Somehow the pilot was able to get his craft level before the final impact.

Continue? Thoughts?

 **A/N: This is based on the book of the same title. there will be a lot of confusing parts of this story and I hope that I can pull this off. Updates will be weekly on Sundays 0700 EST.**


	2. Chapter 2

Rick Castle had been working this job for way too long. He had seen things that no man should ever see in any lifetime. He had been the agency's go-to guy for so long and he never regretted working alone, that was until they made him partner up with two new investigators. Kevin Ryan was an investigator in training. But the expertise he brought with him in finding the obvious in plane crashes put him at the top of Rick's list. He was the kind of guy who would step outside the box to find out what caused the accident they were looking into no matter how insignificant it was. The man was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge relating to anything that Boeing ever had made. And while he was still in training so to speak he had Rick's undivided attention when he gave his findings. He was a rising star and soon would probably take his job from him.

Javier Esposito brought a military aspect to the job they do. Not to say that he was brash or bold in any way would be an understatement. He was all about the work like Rick, his personal life was lacking. Often, they are sent to different parts of the country but ultimately, they reported everything back to Rick no matter what the case is they were working. Which is why he finds himself descending into Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport on a private NTSB jet with the two of them sitting directly across from him giving him an eyeful. He knows what he'll find when he gets to the crash site but he's going to need to see it first-hand in order to get a feel for how these people spent the last moments of their lives to be able to do his job.

The second the plane door swings down he can tell that this will only be the start of the circus judging by the number of news reporters that are waiting for him to walk by. As Kevin and Javi get off the plane they quickly to catch up to Rick and young African-American male pushes his way through and introduces himself with a handshake to Rick.

"Mr. Castle, my name is Kevin Neely and I am from the Minneapolis office…"

"And you're not doing your job! Round these people up and put them in a central location the press shouldn't be anywhere near here and yet here they are. Make no statement to them, and Javi tell him what we need."

Kevin and Javi finally catch up to Rick and start moving him forward towards the hangar where most of the remains of United 35 and Delta 880 flight debris are stored.

"Oh no gentlemen we're not going in there yet, our ride is right there." Rick said and pointed to a waiting Huey UH-1. Kevin looked at Javi and frowned. Under his breath, he said, _"I really hate flying in helicopters."_

Rick got into the front seat, Javi and Kevin got in the back jump seats. Each donned a headset and the chopper lifted off heading to the first crash site. When they arrived at the site Rick asked the pilot,

"Where did the 737 go down?"

"Ten miles to the south." He told him.

"Kevin, you head to that site and me and Javi will set down here. When we're done here we'll meet you there. Black boxes and cockpit recordings are the priority."

"Okay, Rick." Kevin replied.

The chopper landed and Javi hopped out. The destruction and loss of life made it that much more real for him. He had been doing this for eight years and it's something he never gets used to. The acrid smell of jet fuel and death is what gets to him first and the visual sights he sees almost make him throw up, but he pushes it down and meets Rick. Rick seeing him a little green asks if he's okay.

"You okay Javi?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine boss."

They walk through the wreckage that spans just under a mile. Halfway through what was then the middle section of the fuselage the site leader Rodger Mansfield meets them.

"Rick, we were just about to go after the flight data recorders. Do you want to do that next?"

"Sure."

"I think the 737 site came down a lot harder than this one."

"What happened here, Rodger?"

"Well, he managed to get it level but he did it with three engines. The fourth came down about a mile south from here."

"You think he lost a wing?" Javi asked.

"We think so, yeah."

They started to walk to the main impact area and then Rodger started reporting their progress so far.

"We started on the flight map and the state police finally stopped fighting with the government on who had jurisdiction over the site."

"That's typical. Law enforcement always posturing for the state." Rick said.

"Tell me about it they're acting like toddlers. But Rick we're being careful here and we don't think this had anything to do with a structural failure."

"Do you have preliminary numbers yet?" Javi asked.

"Yeah, yeah I do. This one had 354 and 13 crew and the 737 had 265 and 11."

They all oversaw the recovery process and Javi noticed a man moving around the site poking through the personal belongings of the passengers and who had no badge displayed. He gave a look to Rick and he just brushed off his concern.

"Rodger do you already have the cockpit voice recorder?"

"We do. But it's pretty battered up. It took a beating after all this." He said while sweeping his arm to the wreck.

"I want a copy made before it gets sent to Washington."

"I'll make one but it might not be too good."

"It's a silly rule. Why should the guys in Washington hear it first?" The man Javi noticed earlier said as he walked up to them.

"I need to know what those poor bastards were up against before and after they hit the 737."

"I'm sure they did their best, they always do."

"Are you a part of Rodgers team?" Rick asks the stranger.

"I'm Dr. Roy Montgomery."

"I'm the lead investigator in charge Rick Castle."

"Yes, I know. I've read many of your crash reports." Roy thinks to himself _if he only knew why._

"I've heard of you doctor, but can I ask what your interest is here?"

Roy looked him straight in the eye and asked,

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, it doesn't matter. But what I want to know is why a physics professor would want to leave the comfort of his lab?"

"Maybe scientists like us should leave the lab more often. We might learn a thing or two."

He catches Rick's confused look as two reporters run up to him.

"Dr. Montgomery, Dr. Montgomery, what's a physics professor doing here at a crash site? Did you know someone on this flight?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"How did you hear about the crash?" The reporter asked.

"I found out about it like you did. From the television…." Rick hears as they walk away.

"He's the last guy I'd expect to find out here. Rick tells Rodger as Javi follows behind them.

"Actually, he's not. He's been to several mid-west crash sites. That big one at O'Hare in '09, he was all over that one."

"I wonder why?"

"I'm not sure but I don't think it'll win him another Nobel prize. Rodger says as they all walk away towards the workers who are in the process of cutting out the voice cockpit recorder. Rick climbs the debris and watches as they pull out the large black box from the wreckage. The worker hands the box over to Rick and he holds it up in triumph.


	3. Chapter 3

Rick, Javi, Rodger and the Kevin from the Minneapolis office stepped into the room where Don Jans was sitting.

"Mr. Castle, there are representatives from Boeing, the FBI, and the district attorney from Ramsey county are in that room. Are you sure that it would be the right place to talk to him?"

"Mr. Neely, I'm not here to embarrass or convict the man, I only want to talk to him. Try to find out what happened since he was the one who was last in contact with the flights that went down."

They walked into the second-floor room and noticed that Mr. Jams had legal representation standing next to him. Rick walked by all the men milling around who were probably the FBI and Boeing sidekicks and said,

"Mr. Jans, my name is Rick Castle with the NTSB…" Rick was cut off by the man next to him stating who he was. Rick already hated this guy.

"Mr. Castle, my name is Raymond Leacock and I represent Mr. Jans." He waited for a beat before asking "Mr. Castle is this a formal disposition?"

"Not yet."

"I'm going to sit in on this."

"And you are?" Rick asked.

"I am Ian Carpenter, head of the Air Traffic Controllers Association."

Looking down at Mr. Jans, Rick could tell that he was troubled by what happened earlier. He's seen it far too often.

"Mr. Jans, I know that this will be difficult for you but I need to know what you saw and what your actions were this afternoon."

"We were already handling forty flights. Three of us, plus the private planes, the screen was so crowded. I had a god damned headache and I was tired."

"United 35 was coming in from the East, no I'm sorry from the West, and Delta 880 was coming in…"

Rick walked directly in front of the air traffic controller bent over so they were at eye-level and asked him,

"Was that the triple seven Don?" Rick asked.

Don kept talking not answering Rick's question hoping that he'd get through this in one breath.

"I looked away for a moment for some other situation, and when I looked back the planes just changed places. I told United 35 to turn left, they were close man, I mean really close. So close I couldn't tell which plane was which. If it wasn't for the transponder numbers I still would not have known. Then the numbers switched and you couldn't tell them apart anymore."

Don just laid his head in his hands and wept. Rick sighed knowing he wasn't going to get anything else from the controller. He stood up and looked over at Javi. He motions with his head that they should leave. So, they did. Rick, Javi, Rodger, the other Kevin and the air traffic controller's association rep went back downstairs and through the hanger.

Rodger said, "Somebody's got these guys working harder and faster than I've ever seen before."

Ian said, "Well the 737 was pretty public. It's spread itself over a field not a half a mile from the interstate."

"Right, they don't want people gawking at their ah what was it they called that crash in Florida again?" Ian asked.

Rick answered having full knowledge of that crash. "Involuntary conversion."

"I think they made a profit on that one when the insurance paid off." Ian said.

"Yeah, they sure are busting their asses on this one. Look at that they even have some ticket agents serving coffee." Rodger said.

Rick turned to look at what Rodger meant and he looked directly at a brunette who was busy making about 10 cups of coffee. Being friendly he called out to her.

"Hey! How about some coffee?"

She stood straight up turned and looked at him with a smile so bright he'd want to see that on her face all the time. But soon after her smile turned into pursed lips and her eyes squinted ever-so-slightly at him. Without warning, she took the tray placed it on the table next to her and took off for the door. Just if she put her hand on the door to go through he yelled out,

"Hey, wait a minute!" But then she was gone.

Rick looked over to Javi and asked "What'd I do?"

"Could it be your breath? I thought you always got that reaction." Javi chuckled at his own joke.

Before they could get into the conversation Rodger stuck his head out of the office and said, "Gentleman they're ready to play the cockpit tapes."

Rick just kept staring at the door the brunette flight attendant went through. Kevin who had been at the other site had just made it back and was heading into the office with Javi. Rick shook his head and headed in with his team.

" _Minneapolis Center we are currently heading 053… United 35 turn heading… say again Minneapolis… Jesus down! Oh my God! Don drop down now…"_

Collision alarms started sounding in the cockpit and the co-pilot comes back on the radio. Then an impact is heard.

" _My God we hit them, we hit them!"_

 _"Minneapolis this is United 35 declaring an emergency we hit another aircraft it looks like a 73…"_

The navigator is heard telling the captain that engines 3 & 4 are shutting down and he's cutting fuel to engine three.

 _"We're going down I repeat we're going down."_

 _"How much of the wing is gone?" The co-pilot asks._

 _"John get back there and see what's left."_

Nobody there saw the flight attendant return with the tray of coffee. She walked up the stairs and behind their backs, she knew they were listening intently to the tape. Rodger barely acknowledged her when she placed a cup down next to him. She walked over to Rick and asked,

"Would you like some coffee Mr. Castle?"

Without looking up Castle said, "Damn it, I'm listening to the…" he stopped talking when he looked up and saw who was serving him his cup of coffee.

Javi who had noticed the interruption made the signal across the throat to stop the tape. He looked over to Rick who was just staring at the flight attendant and then she let out a soft sigh. It was awkward for a moment or two but then she got back to the task of handing out the remaining cups of coffee. When she was done she made her way back to the stairs, stopped and gave Rick a sweet smile. All he could do was stare at her. When she left Rick asked if the operator could rewind the tape so he could hear it again after being interrupted.

" _We're still going down… do you see anywhere we could land?"_

 _" I'll look for a field…"_

 _" Just find anything, anywhere flat that would work… anything!"_

 _"Dead, dead They're All Dead!" The navigator said in a shaky voice returning back to the cockpit._

 _"What the hell is he talking about sit down for Christ's sake John!" The pilot demanded._

 _"They're dead all of them!"_

 _"Shit! Here it comes!"_

When the plane hits the ground the recording stops. Javi looks at Rick who looks at Rodger and they all look to Kevin. The other Kevin is heading over to the garbage pail to hurl what he ate earlier this morning.

"Was that Kennedy shouting?" Rick asked.

Javi answered, "Yeah but Rockwell couldn't understand him."

"Run that last part through again." Rick requested.

He did and then he cleaned up all the background noise from the recording to give a clear and precise sound of the voices only.

 _"Look for a flat place anything. Will be on the ground in 10…"_

 _"Dead, dead! They're All Dead… what the hell are you talking about for Christ's sake sit down John!..."_

 _"They're All Dead! All of them there burned up."_

Javi looked at Rick and repeated what the navigator just said. "Burned up?"

Rodger put in his two cents and said,

"They were going to be, they might as well have been dead already. It makes me sick."

It was Kevin who said,

"It doesn't make sense."

"Kevin do you expect them to make sense at a time like that?" Rick said.

"No, not like that. Okay, I'll back the pilots, like they say they're the first on the scene of the accident. How many crash tapes have you heard Rick?"

"God, too many. Way too many."

"But how many times have you heard a man come apart like that?"

Rick releases a long sigh and says,

"Okay but it's going to happen sometime. He goes back there and sees all those people who are going to die and it's too much for him. Obviously, they hadn't burned up yet.

"Well, what about if ah… maybe, maybe there was a fire in the cabin? Maybe they were burned up already." Javi suggested.

"Sorry but that's not going to work. The fuselage was unaffected by fire until after the impact." Rodger states.

"He just broke under the strain." Rick said as he got up from his chair. Can you get me a transcript of that?" He asked the tape operator.

"And Rodger, set up a press conference for tonight. Then we'll see what the dead can tell us."


	4. Chapter 4

Rick, Javi, and Kevin walked out of the room and down the stairs to the temporary morgue. The second they were at the door the Ramsey county ME asked to talk to them.

"Rick, I have something interesting for you to see." The ME said as he waved them over.

After a quick handshake, they walked over to the first table on it was a partial body.

"These are pretty good bodies in here, next door we have the bodies from the 737 which is mostly pieces that can't be identified so next of kin will be identifying them from personal effects. There aren't many faces to show them. Then the FBI takes over."

When they stop, they stop at a table that's filled with watches.

"Okay here's what I wanted you to see. The watches on the left are mechanical the kind you have to wind up and the ones on the right or digital. The digital ones didn't fare that well most of them are blank probably from the heat or the impact we can't tell which. But here is what I wanted you to see. The ME hands one of the watches over to Javi.

"Yeah, so what, it's a watch!"

"Ahhh, but that's where you're wrong. Take a closer look."

Javi does and what he sees isn't possible. The time display on the watch is moving backwards.

Javi gives the watch to Rick so he can see the same thing he did when he looks down at watch the look on his face is nothing he's ever seen before.

"This better not be a joke." Rick says to the ME.

The ME gives him a look and says,

"It's not."

Javi comes up with the most likely reason the watch is running in reverse.

"I know, somebody had a gag watch."

"Well, we thought of that too…"

The ME extends his hand and in his palm, he has four more watches that are running backwards and shows them to Rick. They are mystified as to how this could be happening.

Things then move into the high gear. They're all summoned upstairs to attend the press conference for the two airliners that crashed. Rick takes charge and enters with all the paperwork he has for the newscasters so they can make their six o'clock news report by their deadlines. He strides up the aisle dividing the two news reporting agencies. Newspapers on the left and TV on the right. When he takes the podium, things start to quiet down.

"Good evening. Everybody has a copy of the prepared statement I handed out prior to this news brief. My name is Rick Castle and I am the lead investigator in charge and I'll try to answer your questions. But I can tell you right now that we don't know much more than what is in the statement I just handed out. Who wants to go first?"

"Mr. Castle, there have been rumors going around that this is some sort of computer error can you confirm this?"

"That's being looked into I can't say any more about it at this time."

"Mr. Castle when can we speak with a controller that was handling the flight?"

"I'm afraid that you will have to take that up with the controller's attorney."

Then out of the blue someone asks a question that almost cripples Rick. He's been lobbying for anti-collision devices on aircraft for a while now. Longer than he can remember because it might have stopped this accident from even happening.

"Mr. Castle you're on record as issuing a pretty harsh indictment of the FAA for failing to require anti-collision devices on all commercial and private aircraft even though as you know these devices have been available for over a decade. Would you care to comment?"

Rick knows reporter hit a nerve and he decides not to answer this reporter's question.

"Mr. Castle, would you care to reply to Mr. Carpenters question?" Another reporter asked.

"No comment at this time! Next question please."

Professor Montgomery walked into the press conference and addressed Rick directly.

"Mr. Castle my name is Roy Montgomery I'm a professor of physics at the university."

"I remember you from the crash site professor."

"Thank you, Mr. Castle. My question has nothing to do with overloaded computers or negligent air traffic controllers..."

"That should be refreshing." Rick said.

"I doubt it." Roy said.

"Tell me what unusual facts have you developed so far in your investigation?"

"I'm not sure I know what you mean..."

"Were there any unexplained observations? Is there any indication that this crash was caused by something less obvious than the computer overload?"

"Not at all. But of course, every crash is unique…"

"Yet Mr. Castle they share common factors. There are things you expect to find and things that you don't. For instance, is there anything in the cockpit voice recording that seems out of the ordinary?"

"Professor you of all people should know that I cannot comment on what is on the cockpit recordings. But what I can tell you is that the relevant portions will be released soon and you can listen for yourself."

"All right but is there anything else that's odd? Have you found any unusual items in the wreckage any discrepancy in the time sequence of the crash?"

"I'm afraid I still don't know what you mean professor."

"I can't be any more plain without sounding like a raving madman. Mr. Castle, I'm simply looking for the inexplicable and I usually find it."

"Professor it's simple, somebody made a mistake and a lot of people paid the price for it period. In a few days we should be able to tell you what went wrong there's no mystery about it."

"Then I salute you. I'll read your report with interest."

Not one person noticed as Kate had blended in with the reporters. She basically hid behind a stanchion and listened to what was being said. When she gasped at what Roy said about any unusual items found the plane she decided that it was time to go.

Rick ended the press conference and left with Javi and Kevin in tow. When the reached the ground floor Rodger was waiting for them.

"So, is there anything else you need tonight?" Rodger asked Rick as they walked to the exit.

"I want the salvage teams to work through the night. I also need a crew to sort out what's left of the 737.

"Alright, Rick consider it done. By the way, my secretary managed to get you a room at the Marriott. Javi you're staying at the Holiday Inn."

Javi brought them to a stop in the middle of the hallway and said,

"I see rank has its privileges."

"Come on it's not that bad! I hear they have a beauty pageant there tonight Miss I-94." Rodger lets a laugh escape.

"And with that little tidbit of information, I'm out of here." Javi shakes Roger's and thanking him for the room and then said goodbye to Rick.

"Thanks, Rodger your people did an excellent job today."

"Nothing but the best for the NTSB. Alright, Rick, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

Rodger turned away from Rick to head back to his office and secure the hanger. He also had to make sure that the crew that was on both planes stayed through the night.

Rick was exhausted. He watched as Rodger turn at the end of the hallway back into the hanger and then he turned and walked away. He went through the security checkpoint showed his badge to get out and made his way to the escalator. Just as he was about to step onto the escalator he noticed someone standing alongside him. It was her the flight attendant from earlier. She looked over at him and wide a smile take over her face.

"I keep running into you." Kate said.

"Yes if you're not running away."

I'm sorry Mr. Castle I had to get out of that hanger I felt like I was going to be sick."

"I've been doing this so long I guess you get used to it after a while. And it's Rick, not Mr. Castle that makes me sound old."

"Okay then Rick, I'm Kate."

The escalator came to an abrupt stop. Rick's first instinct was to stop Kate from falling so he shot his arm around her waist. The two people behind them walk between them like this was an everyday occurrence when they separated.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while."

Rick wondered why she would say something like that when they were on an escalator. They can just walk the rest of the way down. Something about this woman was different he didn't know what but she was different.

"Rick, when was the last time you got a decent night's sleep?"

"Why do I look that bad?"

"Not bad, just tired like you're running yourself ragged."

"To be honest with you it's got to be thirty to thirty-five hours since I've slept last. But then again who needs sleep with something like this going on. Listen, Kate, I was thinking... maybe we could get coffee…"

"Rick, what about dinner and a few drinks wouldn't that be nifty?"

Rick just stood and stared at her. Nifty? Who in their right mind would use the word Nifty?

"What's the matter Rick, am I moving too fast for you?"

Now that was a loaded question if he ever heard one so he came back with his own quick-witted remark.

"You know Kate I can move fast too!"

"Then let's go."

They walked the rest of the way down the escalator and headed for the exit door. Kate couldn't help but giving him one last shot.

"You should really be careful when you pick up strange women, you'll never know where it might lead." She said with a big smile.

As they walked towards the exit Rick was tempted to place his hand on her hip but thought otherwise once they got to the door.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Rick and Kate made it out to the airport exit, he thought that if she wanted to have dinner who was he to deny her. He left her side and raised his arm to hail a cab.

"Taxi!" He shouted.

"Rick wait we can take my car."

"We can? What kind of car you drive?"

"What kind?"

But Rick saw the look he gave her it and it was as if she didn't know what kind of car she drove.

Kate was afraid something like this would happen. So not wanting to look stupid he raised her hand and pointed to a random car sitting across the street in a parking lot.

Xx

One thing led to another and Rick finds himself waking up in his hotel room very happy. With his hands clasped behind his head resting on the pillow, he sees Kate walking across the room in his shirt half buttoned heading for the nightstand next to him. She reaches out and picks up a pack of Camel non-filters takes one out and lights it up.

"You smoke too much."

"I'll quit tomorrow."

"Just like that huh? I've heard that story before. It took me over a year to quit and every once in a while, I still have the urge to smoke one."

Rick started playing with the shirt she was wearing which was actually his.

"You don't believe me?" She said. "This is my last cigarette. She takes one last drag on the cigarette then she leans over to the nightstand and snuffed it out in the ashtray.

Even though what they had just experienced could be labeled a one-night stand on both their parts, Rick had a burning question in his mind.

"Kate, was last night good for you? Did you enjoy being with me?"

"Rick, you're the best thing that's happened to me in a thousand years." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"I was, wasn't I?"

Kate let out a little giggle and rested her head against Rick's shoulder as she straddled him.

"Kate I'm a little stunned actually. It's been such a long time since I've been with a woman I just hope I made you happy. But I'm feeling swept away by meeting you."

"Rick, do you believe in fate?" She asked him in a serious tone.

"I don't know Kate, do you?"

"I think it's fate that brought us together."

The kiss started tenderly but soon escalated into something more demanding. Kate needing to say something before this got any further and broke the kiss and looked into Rick's eyes.

"Rick, I want to spend more time with you."

"I'd like that Kate I really would."

"Great! Will have all day tomorrow. We can see the sights and just be with each other."

"We'll have all of tonight anyway." He said sadly.

This was not what she wanted to hear. Since she was already straddling him she decided to drive her point home. She placed her hands on his shoulders and then with a small smile pushed him back down onto the bed hard.

At first, he thought she was going to want a fourth round. The look in her eyes said yes, but in her mind, she had a different idea.

"Rick, this job is killing you. You need to take a break. You know, get away for a while."

"I…"

"Take it with me. We can do anything you want."

Kate started to raise up into a sitting position and as she did she dragged her fingers across his abdomen while she gave him a seductive look. He could only stare back at her.

"My first rule is that I never take a woman to bed who's crazier than I am. I don't know if your crazy Kate, but you're on my top ten list."

"If you knew me better I'd be number one."

He rose up to meet her with a deep and loving kiss. He couldn't understand how this woman was able to wrap him around her finger so quickly. They made love again and it was so good. Kate fell asleep before Rick did. She woke with a start around four am. Slipping out of their bed she grabbed her purse and the phone on his side of the bed. She quietly opened and closed the door to the bathroom walked over to the vanity, sat down and lifted up the receiver and pushed the number for the front desk.

"Front desk." The chipper voice said.

"Yes, I'd like to cancel the six thirty wake up call."

"Is that all ma'am?"

"Yes, thank you."

Kate made her way back to the bed as quietly as she left after putting the phone back where it was. She removed his shirt and cuddled up next to him. It felt good to be next to him skin to skin.

"Damn it, they were supposed to call me at six thirty."

"Well, they can't start until you get there."

"That's not why I'm mad. I'm never late for anything."

"Rick, do you remember when we were talking about fate last night?"

"Sure I remember, why?"

"Maybe that's why they didn't call you."

Rick finished tying his tie and turned to look at her when she sat up on the bed. She was wearing his shirt again…barely.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" She asked as she sat up and kneeled on the bed exposing more of herself.

"I don't get it." He asked her puzzled.

"This job is wearing you down."

"I know it is Kate, but it's _my_ job and I can't just walk away from it."

"Why not? The world is not going to come to an end if you just walk away."

"I haven't had a vacation in six years. I got one coming to me. In less than a week I'll have this investigation in full swing and then I can hand it off to either Kevin or Javi. Then I'll take a long hard look at my life. I'd like you to be there when I do. At least we still have tonight."

Knowing that it would break his heart she needed to say this to him.

"I may not be here tonight."

Rick felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. He just gave her the once over and walked to his nightstand to retrieve his wallet, keys, and ID card. When he got to the door he opened it and stopped.

"We'll talk about it tonight." He said with finality.

He walked away feeling like a jerk. He stopped at the end of the hallway because he needs to apologize to her. He turned around and went back to his room. He inserted his key card in the lock and opened the door. What he saw was impossible. The bed was a mess when he left and now it was perfectly made up. The bathroom was clean and the carpet had been vacuumed. But Kate was nowhere to be found. She was sitting there less than ten seconds ago. he knew that she was still in his shirt and she didn't leave in the other direction, so where is she?

Xx

"Now for the systems surrounding engine number four which was the one sheered off in the collision, let's consider this first. You'll find the report on page nineteen of the handout I gave you all."

Rick was not listening to what the analyst was saying. He was sitting next to Javi and he could get the short version from him later. He didn't understand how she could just disappear into thin air like that. So, when he arrived at the debriefing he made a phone call to United's headquarters. He had friends in just about every airline company and he had one of them check the name Kate Baltimore. He thought at first it was made up, but after a conversation with Javi and Kevin, they had heard about many people that had the last name of major cities around the country.

The analyst droned on.

"Everybody got that? On line five you'll see that there was a momentary surge of fuel when fuel line to the number four engine was severed along with 25 ft of wingtip…"

The second the phone rang Rick lifted it up.

"Castle."

"Hey, Rick how are you?"

"Hey Julie, thanks for calling me back."

"So, I need to know, does this Kate Baltimore have anything significant to do with the crash?"

"No this has nothing to do with the investigation."

"Well Rick, I looked into your request and there is no one employed by United with the name Kate Baltimore."

"Julie I don't understand it she was wearing a United uniform."

I'll run her name one more time Rick, but I fear the result will be the same. Give me her name again but spell it this time just so I'm correct."

Rick gave her Kate's first and last name spelled out. Julie typed out her name on her keyboard which Rick heard.

"I'm sorry Rick but she's not listed in United's employee database."

"I guess I made a mistake. Thanks, Julie, for everything."

"Bye Rick."

When Rick hung up Javi was looking at him as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.

"So what was that about?"

"Never mind. Let's just get through this meeting so we can go back to the hotel."

Long after the meeting ended and Rick dropped off Javi and Kevin he was standing in the hanger where most of the wreckage was housed. The last of the people sorting out this mess were leaving and the supervisor came up to him and just looked at the piles of debris.

"We're locking up for the night Mr. Castle."

Rick heard him but could not tear his thoughts from the news he heard earlier about Kate.

"What's that?"

"There will be a guard on that door right over there. Just give a knock when you want to leave and he'll let you out."

The supervisor takes two steps closer to Rick and says,

"A hell of a mess, huh?"

Rick nodded as he said "Yeah, one hell of a mess."

"Good night Mr. Castle."

Rick watched as the supervisor had walked to the control box for the lights that lit the hanger. Sequentially the lights went off as he walked towards the center of the debris. By the time he reached a part of the plane that was once a row of seats, the hanger was dark. He noticed something with a red light blinking. Whatever it was it was impossible for it to be flashing because the plane was in pieces at his feet…


	6. Chapter 6

He walked closer to the blinking light and it made no sense in his mind. Nothing in here should be blinking since the plane had no source of power to it and it was in the hanger in pieces. He walked closer and knelt down, snaked his hand between the seat bracket and some loose wires and grabbed at the blinking light.

When he pulled out his hand he stood up and looked at what he found. It was shaped like a gun but not really a conventional gun. It had a handle that moved so he moved the handle that could have wrapped around your fingers and back again. Inside of the bracket that swiveled was a long cylindrical object. To him, it seemed that it could be removed but he left it alone for now.

He took a couple of steps away from the pile of wreckage and played with it a little more. When he flipped the handle, it exposed the long cylinder again and he reconsidered and gave it a pull. When he did this, two things happened. The red light stopped blinking and the cylinder came off what he thought was the gun. He'd never seen anything like in his life.

With the cylinder off it exposed a small rectangular panel. He removed the panel and when he did underneath it was two blinking green lights along with a red, yellow, and blue wire that went into the front of the gun. Rick was always a guy who wanted to know how things worked so he touched the cover to a raised copper wire and he saw a white light travel around the wires of the gun and then all hell broke loose. The gun in his hand became very hot and shot sparks out of it. Then the sparks became a lot brighter and the heat was too much for him to even hold onto the gun, but he was able to hold onto the cylinder in his other hand.

He felt tingles move all throughout his limbs and then it took over his whole body then he couldn't feel anything. In essence, he became paralyzed and fell to the floor hitting his head hard against the concrete landing on his back. The gun flew out of his hand and landed about two feet from him. He couldn't move anything only his eyes and he was only able to look straight up. The lights that were off suddenly lit up and then blew out raining glass down onto the floor. It happened to every bulb in the hanger. In his peripheral vision, he could see the hanger become very, very bright to his left. The steel girders above him looked a lot like what happened to him when he was holding the gun and he shorted it out. Then he heard voices, then footsteps and noticed two women walking up to him. That was impossible he was the only one in here! He still couldn't get a good look at them but one was a redhead and the other was a blond. They knelt down beside him and by the way, they were dressed he thought the worst until the brunette spoke.

"It's Castle, isn't it?" The blond asked the redhead.

The redhead said, "I'm not sure."

Then Rick got the shock of his life. Kate appeared directly above him. But he couldn't understand it she was wearing an outfit that looks military in fashion, a far cry from what she was wearing earlier today which was his shirt. Her partners were dressed the same way as she was. She leaned over him studying his face.

"He looks like the pictures I saw." Kate said.

"Is he dead?"

The redhead reached in to find a pulse in his neck.

"No, he's only stunned." She told them.

"Goddammit! Where's the stunner?" Kate asked.

The two women with her start searching the hanger for this stunner.

"Here, it's over here I got it." The blonde says. "He must have been pulling it apart trying to figure out what it was."

"Yeah, and with our luck, he's probably seeing and hearing everything we're talking about. And if he is it may be already too late. God, what else can go wrong?" Kate stated.

The three women rise and start walking to the other end of the hanger. Halfway there, Kate turns and looks back at Rick. Making a decision she walks back to him and kneels down beside him taking his arms in her hands for comfort.

"Castle, you're going to be alright. You were just stunned, it will wear off. You don't know me and I can't tell you who I am, but you are endangering a project that's bigger than you can imagine. Please forget about this. If you don't and you keep pursuing this there will be a paradox if you do."

Rick was able to move his head a little and turned towards Kate. What she was telling him was the stuff he sometimes made up in his head. He gave her a hard look and she took it as something else entirely.

" _Coventry, send the gate."_ The redhead said.

Kate knew that time was short but she had heard him try to say something and with the look on his face she'd put together what he was thinking about her.

"God, you think…. We didn't make those planes crash. I swear it."

She got up and started to run towards a very bright light. Rick still couldn't turn his head all the way to his left but after a second the hanger was quiet once more.

 _Flash forward to 3018…_

The announcement is heard throughout the entire area.

 _"Stand by for time travelers arriving from the gate. Receiving operators prepare for arrival._

The same bright light appeared in the center of the building. When it was at it's strongest Kate, Madison and Alexis walked out of it and onto a small platform in the year 3018. Kate walked up and is facing a cross between a man and a machine. He gives her the serum they all get when they return from a mission.

"We have major problems! What happened?" He asked.

"We recovered the stunner."

"Imagine my relief."

Kate hears her name being called over the loudspeaker and turns to the control booth.

"Kate, I want an explanation!"

"Out masters voice." Madison says.

Kate drinks the last of the serum and gives Madison a look. The platform they're on starts to move towards the control room. Kate decides to tell the robot what happened on the mission.

"There was a little problem…"

"Kate it was more than a little problem. There was no excuse for what happened."

"I know. But it happened all the same."

"What happened Kate?"

Not wanting to explain twice she left the platform and walked into the control room with a purpose. She stopped in front of Coventry a man in a wheelchair and stood at parade rest. His chair was outfitted with machines that helped him breath when he needed it and survive due to the poor air quality.

"Do you see that Kate? That red blip on the timeline?"

Madison and Alexis came to stand beside Kate.

"I do."

"That is 2018 where you just went. And there's the mess you left behind you. It's a paradox in the making Kate!"

"It's a potential paradox. You sent me back to get the stunner we lost. Well, here it is." She hands him the stunner and then continues on.

"What you failed to tell me is that Castle was there in the hanger. He'd already found it and stunned himself. And I don't think he was totally unconscious when we found him. I think he saw us."

"Sir, I have a time quake approaching"

Coventry just gives Kate a look and everyone finds something to hold on to, hoping it won't be that bad of a quake. The whole building and everyone in it shakes violently for about three seconds. When it's over Coventry is the first to speak.

"A paradox Kate! You've changed the past! You know damn well that we can't change the past because it catches up with us. We change."

"Well we haven't changed that much, we're all still dying, this place sucks and you are still as ugly as ever."

"One more time quake bigger than that last one would destroy us."

"Look, you were the one who was supposed to scan the past why didn't you know that Castle was going to be in that hanger?"

"And you are supposed to be ready for the unexpected. You're supposed to be the best! You and your people get the best food, best quarters, and all of our precious medicine. Do you realize what it costs to take care of your needs?"

"He was there! He was in the dark, what did you want me to do? Kill him?"

"Oh, I bet you'd love that! But killing Richard Castle would create the worst paradox imaginable. His life affects thousands even millions of other lives in an endless chain. And if you break it…"

Madison completes Coventry's sentence…

"You get a thousand years of bad luck and no one is here anymore."


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright, let's find out what happened after we left 2018. Maybe we can salvage something to make this mission a success." Kate said.

They all moved to a round object that looked like an older pedestal table but was nothing of the sort. On each end of the table there were arms attached to the round rim and when activated they would produce a screen in front of them. There were two thin beams of light that morphed into a screen about 40 inches by 30 inches.

"Sir, all I'm getting is temporal censorship from her jump."

"Scan past it." Coventry ordered.

Alexis being new to Kate's crew had questions.

"What does temporal censorship mean?" she wondered.

Madison decided to give Kate a break and answered the question herself since she was studying the incomplete picture on the transparent screen that appeared before them from their last jump.

"It means we can't see where we've been or where we're going to. You can only go back to a specific moment once and never to that same moment again."

"That's too bad. If we could see where we're going to go…"

"Alexis you'll get used to it went to you do a few more missions. Kate said knowing what she was trying to figure out.

The image became clear and they saw Rick lying on his back in the hanger still stunned.

"There he is still in the dark."

"Rapid scan until he moves." Coventry said.

They watched as Rick became conscious and struggled to get up to his knees.

 _Flashback back to 2018 right after Rick was able to move…_

He felt like shit. His whole body still was not responding to what he told it to do. He stared down at his hand and noticed that he still had the cylindrical part of what she called a stunner. He had no idea about what to think he just knows that she was here and he needed answers. Honest answers.

"KATE!" he screamed out with all his energy.

 _Flash forward back to 3018 with Kate and her crew…_

The second he yelled Kate's name she was in shock. Then something crawled up her spine, it was fear. They never used each other's names so how did he know hers?

"He knows my name!?"

Everyone just stares at each other knowing that this was not possible. They watch the screen and see Rick walking around in circles looking for Kate. He calls out her name again.

"You probably dropped your calling card, Kate." Coventry suggested.

"I didn't mention my name and neither did anyone else." Kate was confused.

"How does he know my name?"

Their attention is drawn back to the screen and Rick. He raises his hand to reveal the cylindrical object as it sits in his palm.

"Kate, he has the initiator in his hand."

They watch as Rick looks at what's in his hand and then the image slowly fades away.

Xx

Kate felt that looking back into the time jump was a little tedious. They only learned that he had the initiator. It was not the end of the world because she recovered the stunner and in order for him to make it work he would need that. She left Alexis, Madison, and Coventry to get ready for the next mission she was scheduled for. Walking down the stairway she had a lot of questions.

"Castle had met me before, hadn't he?"

"How else would he know your name?"

"I've never been back to that time before."

"Kate, you can't be that dense can you?"

"Maybe the quality of the air here is getting to me so why don't you spell it out for me."

"In Castle's time, he has met you before. In your time you have only met once in the hanger. This means that eventually, you will return to 2018."

"Sherman, I talked to him."

"That was not a good idea."

After every Mission whatever they are wearing becomes obsolete. So, Kate takes off her gloves and utility belt and hands them to Sherman who disposes of them. As they walk on Kate takes off the belt that holds her stunner and other assorted weapons and disposes of them too.

"I didn't like talking to him, Sherman. I didn't like it at all."

"It's simple you weren't helping him, Kate."

"What are you talking about?"

"It seems to be my day for spelling out the obvious to you doesn't it."

"Sherman you need to prep me for the 1963 flight." She said changing the subject.

Kate who is exhausted steps into the shower in full uniform while Sherman pulls up the information for the flight her team needs to get to. After he does that he pulls up her biomedical scan from the 2018 mission she just completed.

"Kate according to your scan you didn't smoke enough back in 2018."

As the water from the shower washes over her body, her uniform disintegrates into nothing but liquid goo at her feet and circle the drain. She really hates the smoking part but it seems that she will need to do more of it.

"Give it to me straight doc I can take it."

"Kate, the bio scan shows no new degeneration. The levels of hydrocarbons in your blood are depressed due to breathing the primordial atmosphere in the 20th century."

"They think their air is awful, they ain't seen nothing yet."

"I really think I should replace those kidneys." Sherman said as he completed her body scan.

Kate sticks her head out of the shower and says,

"Maybe a little kick to get the old heart going huh Sherman?"

"Speed kills Kate!"

Kate returns back into the shower closing the door and a large fan activates drying her body from top to bottom in short order. Sherman who knows she's almost done grabs her 1963 TWA uniform and stands by the door waiting for her to come out. When she does she has more questions to ask Sherman.

"Sherman, sometimes I think you want me to live forever. Okay so explain this to me it's what you were built for. You don't really expect me to know what's going on inside my own head, do you?"

"All right on a normal mission when you are taking people who are about to die off airplanes that are going to crash, you don't mind treating them like you don't care about them. Because honestly, you don't."

"Sherman it's because I'm helping them."

"Obviously. Without you, those people would be dead so you can take them without feeling bad. What you had with Castle, it was different."

"You know Sherman I don't think I want to hear any more of your theories."

Kate now dressed in her 1963 TWA stewardess uniform ties her hair back to get ready for the wig she will put on her head.

"Kate you left Castle helpless and confused. He didn't know if you were real or not because he only saw you for a few seconds if that. This is what caused the pain inside of you."

"All right you got me there I felt sorry for the son of a bitch. But I still would have shot him if it would have straightened things out, look at what happened."

"But you forget Coventry told you that you did not have that option. His life effects millions of lives Kate. He can't die yet."

"Wait what do you know about him?"

"Nothing that I will tell you."

"Okay, then what choices do I have? Tell me, Sherman? You say I have to go back and he has met me before."

"Yes."

"If I don't go back what happens to the universe?"

"You must go back."

"Where's my free will?"

"Did you lose it? Sherman says in a pompous tone.

"Let me look around for it."

From her table, he picks up her wig and places of above her head. She takes and snugs it down over her own hair. The wig is blond and she looks terrible in it and lets him know it.

"This is awful!"

Madison leans over and shows her a redheaded wig she has to wear and says,

"You think that's terrible, take a look at this."

Kate looks at the wig and has to agree with Madison it does look terrible. She steals her cigarette from her, takes a drag while Sherman tells her that they located the flight that they're going to go to next.

"Kate, you do have sufficient knowledge of the time you're going to correct?"

"I know it like the back of my hand Sherman."

Sherman who knew everything about all the missions they were going on decided to test her.

"Who was the U.S. president in 1963?"

"Johnson. No wait... wasn't he was assassinated by Attila the Hun?"

"Kate!"

Sherman pulled up 1963 from the archive footage and placed Kate's head into what looks like an optometrist's ophthalmoscope. It was actually a mini movie theater so to speak. This way so she could get a very quick lesson on 1963. The screen showed images of Fidel Castro, Lyndon Johnson, John F Kennedy's assassination and his funeral procession, the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald, the launch of the Gemini program, Marilyn Monroe, and the Beatles.


	8. Chapter 8

Roy Montgomery gave this lecture once a month and never thought that there would be a very large turnout. But as he looks over his notes at the podium he sees new faces and one familiar face, one he'd never expect to attend this lecture. He walks from the podium with the microphone in hand and starts the second part of his lecture.

"We've talked about quarks and anti-neutrinos, but what about people?"

"It's quite a step from demonstrating that subatomic particles can travel backward through time to saying that people can. What would be the result of people traveling through time? For one thing, paradoxes become possible. Say you build a time machine, go back in time murder your father when he was ten years old, that means you never born and if you weren't born how did you build a time machine to travel back in the first place? It's the possibility of paradoxes that makes most people rule out time travel by people."

"But still why not?"

"If you were careful you could do it, you would not go back to stop the terrorists from attacking the World Trade Center as much as you'd want to because that would change history. A time traveler would have to be careful but he could do a surprisingly large number of things."

"He could observe events or people. He could find out once and for all who was on the grassy knoll in Dallas in 1963. And he will know what we can only guess at that we are destroying the planet we live on by complacency. He will have to live with our pollution and acid rain, our negligence today is just creating a world in which our children's children will be barren and the human race could be heading toward extinction."

"He can also take things provided they won't be missed. Like a cup of water from the Pacific Ocean, or a stone from the Grand Canyon. This may sound pointless but very small differences can be crucial. The difference between a dead man and a man that's alive can be very small. But what about a man who is about to die or woman for that matter a man or woman we know we'll never see alive again. This is the hard part about looking for time travelers they don't want to be found. You need to look for them in places where nobody is. Or where there are people that no one will ever see alive again."

 _ **Flash forward to 3018…**_

Coventry had been watching Roy Montgomery's speech from the temporal feed from Kate's last jump to 2018 and realized the man knew what he was talking about. He was one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet. But what he didn't know is how right he actually was. As the image faded from his lecture, Kate and her crew were getting ready for the 1963 mission and it was almost time for them to go.

 _"All Personnel standby for departure."_ Is heard over the loudspeaker.

Kate, Alexis, Madison, and Jenny are standing on the stairway that leads to the platform that will send them into 1963. The gate appears with bright light and sparks spinning within it in every direction. Kate is waiting right in front of it. Coventry watches the countdown on the time clock and when it's time he yells out, "Go!". The operator at the base of the ladder yells up to Kate to go as well and she does disappearing into the gate. Kate ends up in the rear restroom of a DC 8. She knows that Jenny, Madison, and Alexis will soon follow but she needs to do her job first before they can. She fixes her wig as she looks in the mirror knowing that it was messed up a little during the jump. She sees the stewardess call button and presses is it and gets ready. The stewardess who looks exactly like Kate is in the galley and sees the blinking light alerting her to a problem in the rear restroom, steps out from the galley and knocks on the bathroom door. All the stewardess sees is a very bright light coming from inside the bathroom and an arm reaching out pulling her through the doorway. In seconds she is catapulted into the bright light and back into 3018.

She is just disorientated at first all she hears is a loudspeaker saying _,_

 _"Pick up new arrival."_

Two men dressed in uniforms she thinks rush over to her pick her up roughly and drag her away.

With one stewardess already taken care of Kate exits the restroom along with Jenny. Jenny who's been doing this for almost as long as Kate has makes her way to the galley and disables a stewardess who looks a lot like herself.

Kate, whose job it is to take care of the first-class section walks up the aisle and into first class securing the drapes between coach and first class. Reaching the first-class galley, she quickly disables the first-class stewardess. She pulls out her communicator and says,

"Alright send the others. Everything's nice and quiet and I'd like to keep it that way."

In less than three minutes Kate has the entire first-class section of the plane asleep. Just as Kate puts her last passenger to sleep, Jenny comes through the drapes between first class and coach she gives her look and then a nod of her head and Kate heads back to see what's wrong.

"Jenny I'm all done up here what's up?" Kate asks.

"Kate there's a guy in coach who's acting funny. He's watching us too closely."

Jenny and Kate leave first class and head into coach. But before they can get midway through the plane the guy that Jenny was worried about jumps up from his seat and takes another passenger hostage with a gun pointed at her head.

Madison who sees everything unfold in front of her is the closest person that can do anything to stop this guy.

"You're going to take me to see the captain." The guy demands. Then the guy cocks back the hammer on the gun holding it against a woman's head.

Madison who sees nothing but disaster explains to the man what would happen if a gun was fired inside the plane. Very calmly she tells the man,

"Sir you can't shoot that, if you depressurized the cabin you will kill us all."

"Nobody gets hurt if I see the captain understand?"

As Madison gets closer, the man takes the gun away from the woman's temple he's holding hostage and points it straight at her. Knowing that this will end everything they work for she sacrifices herself and takes the gun with both of her hands and pointed it towards her abdomen. Of course, the man fires knowing that he's going to kill at least one person. When he does shoot he is stunned because he never thought that she'd take a bullet and he releases the weapon and Madison takes it from his hand. She doubled over in pain instantly and makes her way to an empty aisle seat to sit down.

Call it fear or disbelief Kate is sure that she is beyond pissed off. She raises her stunner sets it to kill and pulled the trigger. The gunmen sails through the air and ends up back at the rear of the plane twenty feet away slumped up against the restroom doors. The hole in his midsection is still smoking when he falls face forward.

A young man who has been sitting in the aisle seat behind Madison sees one of the stunners that she dropped before she sat in the aisle seat in front of him. He picks it up looks at it wondering what it can do or what it is and just as quickly as he did he throws it back down under the seat.

Kate sees a simple mission falling apart so quickly.

"Jenny wake up, come on we don't have the time. Get into the cockpit and knock out everyone in there. You know the flight plan just keep the plane steady while we get everyone off."

Kate retrieves the communicator from her pocket and says,

"Riot squad Martin, fast and dirty this one's falling apart."

Kate and Alexis noticed that Madison never made it to the aisle seat. They pick her up off the floor and Kate holds her knowing that she won't be with them much longer. The young man who sits behind them peeks over the top of the seat.

"Did that man shoot her?"

"Don't worry honey everything will be alright."

"Ah, when she fell she…."

Kate's raises her stunner sets it to sleep and pushes it against the young boy's forehead pulling the trigger. Instantly the boy falls back into his seat asleep.

 ** _Flash forward to 3018…_**

 _"Attention, attention the initiation phase has commenced. All recovery team personnel standby. Holding TWA Flight 415 in the gate…."_

"Ladies and Gentlemen please remain seated." Just as Alexis finishes that statement the tail end of the plane is brought through the gate. The passengers are disorientated and scared. Once the plane is stationary the gantry is placed at the rear door. Six members of the riot squad walked into the back of the plane and start picking people up out of their seats and shoving them back towards the ramp they came up on.

Once some of the passengers make it to the end of the plane they hear,

" _Please step on the ramp and walked quickly to the bottom. Then follow instructions you'll be taken to a safe place."_

Most of the passengers are cleared out up to where Kate is on the aisle seat and one of the riot squad grabs the boy behind her. Just as he does Kate looks up and says,

"Not him you idiot that's the survivor. Buckle him in and help me with Madison."

As the passengers come off the back of the plane a brunette-haired woman looks over at the ramp heading back towards the plane and sees an exact copy of herself going to the plane. A young man sees exactly the same thing she did and they look at each other wondering what the hell is going on.

The copies of passengers that left the plane are set in the seats according to the passenger manifest. They're all belted it in and arranged as if they were sleeping while the flight continued on.

Madison is carried off by one of the riot squad crew and placed at the bottom of the ramp as it is retracted from the plane. Kate and Alexis hold her until help can arrive.

Up in the control room Coventry is talking to the computer tech.

"So now we know that a hijacker causes this crash. We know there was one survivor, we know when it crashed. Our only problem is going to be duplicating it."

Coventry thinks for a minute and has a solution.

"Have one of Kate's team attached a 5K charge to the windscreen and that should duplicate the gun being fired."

Madison regains consciousness and tells Kate,

"I stopped it, Kate, I stopped the bullet."

"You saved us all Madison. Hang in there you're going to be all right, you're going to make it."

"Kate, I lost it."

"Madison, what did you lose?"

"Stun… Stun… Stunner. I lost the stunner."

Madison's eyes roll into the back of her head and then close. She dies with Kate holding her tight. Kate looks over to Alexis and knows what she has to do. On the DC-8, Jenny's attaching the charge to the front windscreen of the plane.

Kate knows that if the stunner is found in the wreckage it will create a massive paradox. She gives Alexis her seat to hold Madison. She gets up and runs back towards the ramp that leads to the plane. Jenny who has set the charge on the windshield is now running towards the back of the plane while Kate is running in.

"Kate what are you doing here there's no time!"

Kate ignores Jenny's statement and searches for the stunner.

Coventry who saw Kate run onto the back of the plane knows that she won't make it out in time. He moves his wheelchair to the window to watch. Soon the plane is being sucked back into 1963. The tail is almost gone, disappearing into the gate.

Jenny grabs Kate arm pulls her up from the floor and tells her,

"Kate there's a bomb set to blow up. Let's get the hell out of here."

Just as the last of the plane disappears into the gate back into 1963 a large explosion rips the plane apart and throws Kate and Jenny back through the gate and into 3018. They land on the floor along with many parts of the DC-8. Coventry who witnessed the whole thing leans back in his chair with a smile on his face knowing that they made it out in one piece.


	9. Chapter 9

Kate had changed into more suitable clothing for what was to happen next. She had to go in front of the council and explain her and her team's actions on the DC-8.

The council is made up of six men and women who have all knowledge of every time imaginable. They also are able to authorize or deny any time jump that any jumper would go on. After she changes she heads to the council meeting. As she walks in she takes in the council. They don't look that happy to see her. So, she stands there and waits until they're ready for her to explain what happened on her last mission.

"One of my team was shot. She ended up dying from her injuries. But, in the confusion, her stunner was lost. It was too late to go back and retrieve it without dying ourselves." Kate states sadly.

"You know that preventing a paradox is more important than losing a life." The council member in front of her says.

"Blame is secondary at this point. The first of the stunners was lost in 2018 and was briefly in possession of Richard Castle. He knows what it can do. Then you went back to 1963 and lost another stunner." The female council member told her.

The member to her left says,

"From what we have found out it ended up in the hands of Roy Montgomery. If he knows what it can do he might be capable of knowing how it works."

"The council has decided that a second mission to 2018 is authorized. You will meet Richard Castle a day before you met him the first time. You must prevent him from going to the hanger the night you saw him there. Since he knew your name when he saw you he must have met you previously. Therefore, you did go back…."

"Must go back…." The council member seconds.

Kate accepts the decision of the council and leaves the council meeting. She goes to an area right beneath the control room sits down and thinks about what has to be done and what will be done. During that time, she is in deep thought as Sherman walks up and stops beside her.

"It seems I just can't get away from you, can I?"

"I would be a poor excuse for a personal robot if you could."

"Sherman I lost a very good member of my team on that plane. The council could only see it as preventing a paradox. I can't believe her life was reduced to something as infinitesimal as that."

"Madison knew the risks and she accepted them."

"I just, I couldn't leave her there to die all alone."

"It is not necessary to destroy your soul for this job Kate. But a certain amount of violence will be done to it. You made the wrong choice it is easy for them to make cold choices Kate there are hardly human anymore."

"Am I so different? We're all dying they're just a little further along."

"You _are_ different! You have feelings, Kate. I may not say this often but I see it in you how you care for people and what you think they think of you."

"They want me to go back again. Back to 2018."

"Kate, you have to go back. He must be kept out of that hanger by all means necessary."

"This isn't a job for me Sherman, if you want someone bashed in the head then I'm your girl."

"You will have to learn new methods to entice him. You can do this I know you can I have faith in you."

Kate's sighs twice knowing that she will go back but she hopes she can stop him from entering the hanger. Maybe Sherman can help her with that.

"Then, let's go do it."

 _ **Flashback to 2018…**_

Kate walks through the gate and back into 2018. Minneapolis isn't as cold as she thought it would be as she walks into the hanger. When she pushes through the double doors she stops on the other side and watches as Rick walks toward the table with the smaller parts of the Triple 7 on it. Drawn from her musings, another flight attendant tells her to bring coffee to Rick and his team. She takes a tray makes a conscious effort to walk towards him but the closer she gets the more she realizes that this is a really bad plan. Then, of course, he has to speak to her.

"Hey, how about some coffee?"

It's all Kate can do to stop looking at him. She turns, throws the coffee on the table closest to her and runs back through the double doors. She makes it to the woman's restroom checking every stall to make sure no one is there with her. She takes out her communicator and says,

"Alright Sherman he's seen me again and I think he's interested. What next?"

Coventry who's never had to deal with something like this in any situation clears his throat and looks up to Sherman and asks him,

"What now Sherman? Think of something."

"Take him to dinner Kate. Someplace romantic." Sherman suggests.

From the small speaker Coventry and Sherman here her say,

"How am I supposed to do that?" She wonders out loud.

"It's quite simple Kate you are the woman, after all, just pick him up."

"How?"

"It's simple Kate wiggle your ass, show some cleavage, throw him seductive looks anything to get him to come with you to dinner. You're the woman you figure it out. Just be subtle."

"Kate is as subtle as a lead pipe." Coventry comments.

"I heard that Coventry thanks a lot."

A bright light flashes and a woman's outfit lands in Kate's hands.

"This outfit should be enticing to the male of that era. As well as stimulating."

A second later a pair of black high heels falls on top of the outfit that had already made it through the gate.

"Sorry about the high heels Kate." Sherman apologizes.

"Oh, there's no need to be sorry about these babies, I love them."

Kate changed into the outfit which she had to agree with Sherman was very enticing. She walked through the terminal and stood hidden watching the exit where she knew Rick would be coming out of. Observing her surroundings you noticed two other women who were walking towards a bar. They were swaying their hips back and forth. So she decided to try it. She did and wondered why they would need to do this to attract a man. To her, it felt silly. She looks up from where she is and sees Rick coming out of the hanger area into the main terminal. She follows him through the terminal and steps up right behind them as he gets on the escalator. He looks to his left and notices her standing next to him.

"I keep running into you."

"Yes if you're not running away."

"I'm sorry Mr. Castle I had to get out of hanger I felt like I was going to be sick." Kate tells him.

"It's Rick, not Mr. Castle that makes me sound old."

"Okay then Rick, I'm Kate."

"I've been doing this so long I guess you get used to it after a while."

As they descend on the escalator Kate slips her hand into her purse and searches until she finds what she's feeling for careful not to take her eyes off Rick and pushes a gray button on a remote control. As she finishes this the escalator comes to a quick stop. After two women pass them she says to Rick,

"Well, it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while."

Rick wondered why she would say something like that. They were on an escalator and can walk the rest of the way down. Something about this woman was different he didn't know what but she was different. They made it off the escalator and out to the street. Rick raised his arm to hail a cab.

"Taxi!" He shouted.

"Rick we can take my car."

"We can? What kind of car you drive?"

"What kind?"

But Rick saw the look he gave her it and it was as if she didn't know what kind of car she drove.

Kate was afraid something like this would happen. So not wanting to look stupid he raised her hand and pointed to a random car sitting across the street in a parking lot.

Rick looked to where she was pointing and noticed a Volkswagen Beetle. It was yellow and to him, he thought she'd be in something less basic. They cross the street and Rick makes it to the passenger side of the Beetle reaching for the door handle. When he looked up, he saw that she walked right past the Beetle and into the main parking lot. She came to stand next to a Cadillac ATS-V convertible coupe. When he got over his shock on seeing this car she said,

"Come on Rick get in!"

He pulled on the door handle and found that it was still locked.

I'd love to but it's still locked. Do you have your keys?"

"Keys?" Kate knew nothing about what he meant.

She once relies on the remote control in her purse activates it and the doors unlock. Once inside Rick watches her as she just stares at the dashboard. It's like she has never sat behind the wheel of a car before.

 **A/N: Tomorrow Monday 5/7/18 I will be posting my entry for Castlefictathon being sponsored by CastleFicPromoter. It's titled "Beached". There will be close to 30 chapters with 25 of them already written. So please tune in! Thanks.**

 **P2P**


	10. Chapter 10

God, he wished he was dead! He should have never sat in the passenger's seat of her Cadillac. The second she started the car she gave it the gas and Rick became worried, well actually a little more uneasy. The second the car's engine came back down to an idle she slapped it into drive and floored it. He was still trying to fasten his seatbelt as he is thrown back into the seat from the force.

"Kate, did the tower clear you for that take-off?"

All she did was press harder on the gas and give him a suspicious smile. She turned up the radio when she heard the beginning gong of AC/DC's Hell's Bells. By the time they got out onto the freeway, Kate was doing close to eighty-five miles per hour. Rick watched as she narrowly missed hitting several cars in their path.

"Watch out!" Rick shouted out as they almost hit a car right in front of them. She was zig-zagging all over the road using it like her own personal race track with speed to match.

"So do you know Minneapolis?" She asked him.

"No, I've only been here a couple of times." He said as he squeezed his eyes shut once again because she was almost about to hit another car.

"Ohh I know a good place to eat!"

Rick who wanted to get there in one piece said: "Anyplace is fine Kate."

She looked over at him and noticed that he was cringing so she asked,

"Rick is something wrong?"

In the seconds that followed she had drifted into the other lane and was going to hit a car coming at them in the opposite lane.

"KATE!" watch the road….."

Kate looked up and saw a pickup truck heading right for them. She swerved to the right missing the truck entirely.

"Man, you really drive this thing don't you."

All Kate could do was smile as she ran through a red light pressing the gas pedal harder to the floor.

Rick who is now sure he was going to die asked her,

"Kate are we almost there yet?"

"Will be there in another two minutes at this present velocity."

Rick just looked over at her like she lost her mind. Who talks like this.

"Kate, how long have you had this car?"

"Oh, um, forever I guess."

"Well, you must be the luckiest woman in the world then."

Rick was in thrown against the door as she made a hard left onto a side street and accelerated even faster. When she got to the end of the street all he saw was the car that was blocking their path driving down the cross street. She hung a hard right missing the car and pulling over to the curb. When Rick opens the door to get out all he can hear was the other driver who was just cut off calling her an idiot for doing so out his open window. Standing on the sidewalk just looking at the car he stepped out of Kate walks up and stands beside him.

"Rick are you alright?"

"I feel like I should kiss the ground."

The doorman opens the door and they both walk in. The wait for a table is about ten minutes so they sit at the bar and get comfortable. The bartender turns and hands them both two fingers of Scotch. Rick adds water to both their glasses and picks up his glass to toast the fact that he made it out to the restaurant alive. But he doesn't tell her that. He lifts his glass and she does the same. Rick takes a small sip of his Scotch and Kate who hasn't had alcohol in like forever, tasted the scotch and liking the taste upended the entire glass in one gulp. All he can do is look at her in awe.

"Wow, you can't get that anymore." Seeing the bartender Kate asks for another scotch but hold the water.

"Can't get it anymore? It's old but it's not that old." Rick says.

"Oh, I mean that I can't really afford…"

The maître d walks up between the two and asks if they're ready to order dinner. Kate who was still looking at the menu can't decide what she wants to eat so she has Rick do it for her.

"We'll have the filet of sole for two, tossed salad with Italian dressing."

The maître d nods acknowledging their order.

Kate nods to him telling him that he made the right choice for her.

"That's the first time I've ordered for a woman since the senior prom in high school.

"I don't mind Rick."

"Don't you Kate? I mean that doesn't happen that much anymore."

"Why?"

"Haven't you ever heard of equal rights? Women have become empowered and I think that they should be."

"So what, it's like a war between men and women if they're not empowered?"

"Actually it is."

"Who won?"

"I still think that war is still being fought on many fronts. But maybe we could call a truce for tonight?"

"I'd like that Rick."

Rick deciding to be a little bold has a question for Kate.

"Kate you're different from other women that I've known. You don't carry yourself like you're from this country."

Kate who needed not to reveal who she really was told him a little white lie.

"That's because I'm not from this country Rick."

"You're not? Where are you from?"

"I grew up abroad. In France. I'm from France. My father was posted there. He was a warrior."

"A soldier?" Rick said questioningly.

"That's right, a soldier, he was a soldier."

"Well, to friends then." Just as they finish clinking their glasses together the maître d came back and told them their table was ready. Kate downed the rest of her Scotch, picked up her purse and started walking towards the table. Rick just looked at her again and did the same with his Scotch. He left a tip for the bartender and walked to the table to meet Kate.

Sitting directly across from her he watches as she cuts up a piece of her salad. When he thinks she's going to eat it she stabbed it with the fork picks it up and looks at it wondering if it's safe to eat. He watches as she slowly guided her fork towards her mouth, opens her mouth and puts it in. The faces that she's making her something he remembers seeing on his niece when she didn't like food or when she loved it. She starts chewing with vigor apparently liking the salad. Before he knows it, she's done with half of her salad before he is. He notices that she's eating and smoking at the same time something he never did even when he did smoke. Because you can't enjoy one or the other at the same time.

"That's a really bad habit you got Kate."

"What habit is that Rick?"

"I've never seen anybody eat and spoke at the same time."

Kate looks at the cigarette she's smoking and decides that he's right. She throws it over the dividing wall and it lands somewhere where she doesn't know. She continues to push the salad around with her fork until she realizes that she's not in 3018 anymore and the cigarettes probably burning someone's tablecloth instead of being vaporized. She quickly gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.

"Shit, Rick where did it go?"

"You hear somebody screaming real soon you'll probably know where it is. Kate, you really have to quit smoking, the tobacco is turning your brain to mush."

Kate just looked at Rick and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Soon they were both laughing together eating their salad. During the dinner conversation, they had family talk, work talk, and personal lives talk. When they were finished with everything they decided to just be themselves and talk some more getting to know each other better.

"So, you never remarried never found a new girlfriend? Isn't that a little unusual? Kate asked.

Rick shook his head no.

"Is it? There are times when relationships just don't work out and I don't really have the time to invest in one. But there are times… Rick pauses for a second as he looks over at Kate.

"What?"

"When I wish I did things differentially. But my job always came first." Rick said sadly.

Kate knowing exactly what he means says,

"I know what you mean by Rick. That's how I feel about my job."

"Really? But I bet your job doesn't take you away in the middle of the night, keep you away from home months on end and if I was lucky enough to get back within their decent amount of time my apartment was usually empty of whoever I was seeing then. They just don't hang around Kate."

"Well, maybe you just didn't find the right girl."

"Maybe. Javi says I'm burning out, I don't know maybe I just gave up looking altogether. But I _can_ tell you I was taking a lot of cold showers. When he said that Rick looks down not wanting her to know that is sex life is practically nonexistent. But she took it the wrong way.

"Rick it seems to me that you find it hard to talk about yourself."

"How can you say that we've been talking about me for the past two and a half hours. But you're right I can't… Rick paused looking right at her and he thinks she knows. He takes a chance and slides his hand into hers on the table."

…. open up emotionally? She said finishing his sentence.

"That's it. I'm no good at…"

"… expressing yourself" Kate finished.

Still looking into her eyes he smiled a little bit and said,

"I couldn't have said it better myself Kate. But what about you? Why aren't you married?"

"Rick nobody would want me because I can't have children."

"I'm sorry Kate. But that's not the only reason to get married. Any man who doesn't see who you are or could be doesn't deserve to be married to you."

"But Rick it would be for me because I do _want_ children."

Kate wanted to leave here because this conversation was getting way too personal for her and she knew that she would slip up and give away who she really was. So, she suggested something to him.

"Rick I really like to get out of here. Where are you staying? Could I drive you?"

Rick was confused by the sudden change of subject and forgot actually where he was staying for a second since he had never been to the hotel yet.

"For a minute there I forgot where I was staying. I haven't even seen the room yet."

"Well, I was going to ask you if it's nice."

"Well Kate if you want, you can come up and take a look."

Kate lifted their joined hands, gave him a wink and pulled him to the exit of the restaurant….


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This chapter now carries an M rating. Please be aware.**

He slid the room key into the card reader on the door and the door unlocked. He guided Kate through the door and into the room. Adding the do not disturb sign onto the outside handle Rick locked the door and turned to see Kate hanging her on the back of the desk chair. She was beautiful in that dress, but he'd rather see her out of that dress than wearing it. He walked over to her and drew her in for a full body melting hug. He wanted slow and meaningful, but Kate had other ideas.

God, she wanted him. There was something about a man who fit into her body with just a hug. This was a new experience for her. Physical contact had all been banned long ago. Since most women were not able to produce children in 3018, the government banned any type of personal displays of affection. But now in 2018, all bets were off. She decided to take charge. Her hand slipped down between their bodies and she could feel how badly he wanted her. As she cupped him he let out a moan that almost made her fall apart while she was holding him. Deciding that this is what she wanted she rubbed the palm of her hand up and down his shaft through his pants.

"Kate if you keep that up I can promise you one thing."

"Oh yeah, Rick what's that?"

"I can tell you that I won't last long and I don't want that. I want to please you in every way I can."

"Rick, it's okay we have all night together."

She was caught off guard when he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. Reaching the edge of the bed he placed her down on the floor and just looked into her eyes to be sure that this is what she wanted.

When she nodded her acceptance, she slipped out of her heels and she was just the right size to fit into his body even better. Rick drew her in for a passionate but deep kiss. He was surprised when she opened up and gave him access but not surprised when she was the first to take advantage of it. Her tongue tangled with his for dominance then he ended up relinquishing to her need. While she was doing that to his mouth he explored the exposed parts of her body. The dress she was wearing left little to the imagination. He slipped his hand to the back of her neck found the zipper pull and tugged it downward. Taking her hands out of his hair for a second and he eased the dress off her shoulders and without any encouragement her hands went right back to his hair the dress pooling at her ankles. Feeling the chill Kate thought that what was good for her was good for him as well and snagged his shirt at his chest and ripped it from his body buttons flying everywhere. There, bare-chested she took in his broad chest and let him encase her again, but this time skin to skin.

Rick was always considerate of his lovers and Kate was no exception. He let his fingertips skim the flesh of her back up until he reached her shoulders. He ravaged her mouth until he heard her moaning with desire and want. He stroked back down to her hips and slipped his thumbs on each side of her thong and pushed the garment down joining her dress on the floor. He took in her sensational form and couldn't wait to have her. He inched her back towards the bed and gently eased her onto it. Her nude body was his for the taking and he wanted to map every inch of her body, so he started with her breasts. He took her right nipple into his mouth and suckled gently while his hand worked the taught nipple of its twin. She had wanted more and arched into him. He gladly granted her what she needed. With her senses raised higher, he left the comfort of her breast and placed soft kisses down her ribcage and south towards her abdomen. He wanted to tease so he moved over her clit and along her thighs working each down one side and up the other and where he left he was staring directly at her shaved pussy just waiting to be consumed. He must have waited a second too long because she had taken both of her hands placed them on each side of his head and guided him to where she needed him most. He obliged. She was so slick and her taste was something that he'd never experienced before. He slid the tip of his tongue slid into her channel and she gasped. Her hands moved his head with more force into her needing release. He complied. She was so wet that when he stroked his tongue through her folds all he heard was a moan of "more Rick".

He worked her bundle of nerves like he was playing a finely tuned instrument. When he inserted one finger inside her, and then a second she bucked like a wild mustang. When her body came back down onto the bed he continued to swipe his tongue through her clit keeping one hand pressed firmly against her stomach to keep her still.

"Rick, I need you inside me… now!" Kate moaned out at barely a whisper.

"Patience Kate. All in due time."

With that said he worked her harder. He concentrated on her nub making her squirm even more. Needing more access to her, he guided her legs up and over his shoulders. When she was comfortable and without any hesitation, Rick continued thrusting two fingers inside of her. He could feel her muscles clamp down on each finger hard enough to cause him some discomfort. Now all he could think about was slamming his cock into her hoping for the same result. He stroked her quickly getting her to reach a new level of need. But before he knew it she was gripping the sheets of the bed and her eyes were clamped tightly shut. She was close so he increased his attack. Then her body just arched up and he felt something gushing from her. He looked up at her face and could see that he had given her what she needs so badly… release. Her body slumped back to the mattress and he withdrew his hand from her. He chuckled to himself wondering if she knew that she was a squirter.

"Rick, what the fuck did you just to do me? Oh my god that was mind-blowing!"

"Kate, you do know that you can squirt, right?"

"No, I had no idea. But it felt wonderful!"

"I'm glad I could assist in your need for total release."

Rick who was still half clothed started to get up off the bed. Kate looked at him and wondered why. She darted her hand out to his belt and held on tight.

"Where do you think you're going?" She demanded.

"Uh, well I was going to let you recover before I started round two."

"Oh no you don't! Strip those pants off right now. I need your cock, Rick!" She never had the real thing, the only thing that came close was a synthetic piece of rubber that did absolutely nothing for her. She released his belt by pulling it out of the loops of his pants.

Rick pulled his pants and boxers off in one fluid motion. All he heard was a gasp and then he felt it. Kate wrapped her hand around his shaft and started stroking gently. When she used her thumb to tease his tip he just about lost it right then and there.

"Kate, you can't do that and expect to use it for what you want. If you keep doing that I will come all over your thigh."

"We can't have that now can we Rick?" She said with a seductive look.

Kate kept him in the palm of her hand and pulled him up towards her still wet clit. He braced his arms on each side of her side and she spread her legs wider guiding him towards her wet pussy. His tip teased her lips and with one hard thrust, he entered her. She squeaked with a noise he could only associate with pleasure. Once she had adjusted to his girth and size she said,

"Rick start moving, I need you to move your ass before I explode!"

With nothing else stopping him, Rick drew back and slammed into her relentlessly. He felt her coming close to her orgasm when she clamped down on his cock with her inner muscles. He knew that he would not last much longer either. Before he knew it, he felt her shatter around him. Three more sloppy thrusts and he released into her. Making sure that his weight was not going to crush her he rolled off to her side when he pulled out of her instantly regretting it. Then their sated sweat glistening bodies merged together until they both fell asleep.

Kate wanted something to remember him by so she eased out of the bed and went to the luggage stand at the end of the bed. Knowing he was asleep Kate unzipped his suitcase and picked up the first item she saw, it was his sweater. She lifted it to her face and took in what was undeniably his scent. Too involved in what she was doing she never noticed him waking up.

He laid there with a smug look plastered on his face.

"I think I have a spare toothbrush in there somewhere."

Startled she looked up at him knowing that she was caught.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"I think I was. Come here, Kate."

After a short conversation round four commenced.


	12. Chapter 12

"Damn it they were supposed to call me at six thirty."

"Well, they can't start until you get there."

"That's not why I'm mad. I'm never late for anything."

"Rick, do you remember when we were talking about fate last night?"

"Sure, I remember, why?"

"Maybe that's why they didn't call you."

Rick finished tying his tie and turned to look at her when she sat up on the bed. She was wearing his shirt again…barely.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" She asked.

"I don't get it." He asked her puzzled.

"This job is wearing you down."

"I know it is Kate, but it's my job and I can't just walk away from it."

"Why not? The world is not going to come to an end if you just walk away."

"I haven't had a vacation in six years. I got one coming to me. In less than a week I'll have this investigation in full swing and then I can hand it off to either Kevin or Javi. Then I'll take a long hard look at my life. I'd like you to be there when I do. At least we still have tonight."

Knowing that it would break his heart she needed to say this to him.

"I may not be here tonight."

Rick walked to where she was sitting on the bed and she knelt at the edge of the bed. He looked into her eyes and there was something she wanted to tell him but she held back. She moved in to kiss him and he couldn't get wrapped up in her again because he'd never leave if he did. When she pulled back she said,

"Stay with me." She said as she leaned in for a kiss. But was disappointed when he pulled back and said,

"I can't Kate."

Rick just gave her the once over and walked to his nightstand to retrieve his wallet, keys, and ID card. When he got to the door he opened it and stopped. Only when she raised her head he told her,

"We'll talk about it tonight." He said with finality.

He walked away feeling like a jerk. He stopped at the end of the hallway because he needs to apologize to her. He turned around and went back to his room. He inserted his key card in the lock and opened the door. What he saw was impossible. The bed was a mess when he left and now it was perfectly made up. The bathroom was clean the carpet had been vacuumed. But Kate was nowhere to be found. She was sitting there less than ten seconds ago.

Kate?

 _Thirty seconds earlier…_

Kate knew that he would never waver from his job. She scrambled off the bed and rummaged through her purse until she found her communicator. She keyed the transmit button and said,

"Sherman send the gate!"

The second she finished talking the gates bright light had engulfed the entire hotel room. Seeing the gate, she stepped through. Everything she had with her, her purse, her clothes her high heels and everything she had contact with except for Rick followed her through the gate. Then the room reverted back to the way it was before they arrived there that night. The bed was made, the towels were clean and replaced, the bathroom was scoured better than before they arrived and the floor was vacuumed. The only item that remained was Rick's suitcase.

Kate stepped through the gate and ended up on the catwalk above Sherman and Coventry. She was still wearing Rick's shirt and barefoot. Sherman stood there with his mouth open and eyes plastered to her body. She took the ladder down and stopped.

 _Gate operation terminated all controls zero_.

Was heard over the loudspeaker as Kate walked through the corridor towards Coventry. She stepped directly in front of Coventry and he made an attempt to brush his fingers over her breast.

"You'll never miss it." She leered at him.

"What happened Kate? Did you stop him?" Coventry asked.

Kate had more important things to worry about then reporting to him what happened in 2018.

"Sherman I'm going to need my uniform…."

Before Kate could finish her thought, alarms started sounding and the loudspeaker came alive again.

 _"Paradox time quake approaching Force seven!"_

Kate moved to a vertical structure and held on for her life. Sherman provided cover should anything fall from the ceiling onto her. They were shaken as if it was the magnitude of more than 10 earthquakes combined at once. Time quakes were usually short-lived but this lasted about a good ten seconds before it stopped. When it did end Kate said,

"I have to talk to the council we don't have much time."

Kate changed back into her uniform and reported directly to the council's chambers. When they were ready she turned on the screen that showed the temporal censorship images from her last jump.

"Here's what happened after I left 2018."

"I want everyone assigned to me to go over every single piece of this wreckage in this hanger. If you don't know what something is, bring it to me I want to see it." Rick said.

One of the crew asked,

"What are we looking for?"

Rick simply replied,

"I'll know it when I see it. We're going to reassemble the Boeing Triple 7 from the ground up."

The same crew member had questions as to why and confronted Rick.

"Rick are you sure…"

"That's all! Just get your asses to work."

 _Back to 3018…_

"He's forgotten all about what caused the crash. He's putting the plane back together just so he can find the stunner…. and me."

 _Back to 2018…_

Javi returned from the other hanger where the Airbus was and walks into the hanger where the triple 7 is and sees the crew doing more than just finding out why this plane crashed. He knows that Rick has something to do with it. He climbs the staircase to the second-floor office that overlooks the hanger and finds Rick looking through the window at the reconstruction process. He walks up to him cautiously not knowing what to expect. He stands there for a good minute and Rick has to know that he is in the same office with him. After a minute and he still doesn't say anything Javi starts talking.

"We're wasting time here Rick. There's nothing we could possibly learn by doing this."

"Javi I don't care! Rebuild it every damn inch of it! I want a crew on this 24/7 I'll approve whatever overtime is necessary to get this done."

Javi he just looks at him like he's lost his mind. But he is his boss.

Hours later the crew rebuilding the plane has made significant progress on the fuselage and it is almost complete. The tail section is sitting waiting to be put in place. Javi and Rick are down on the hangar floor at a desk going over everything that they've been doing so far.

Paul who had been looking at everything that's been done so far finished his walk through the hanger and stopped at Rick's desk. Rick never knew he approached because his nose was so buried in all the notes they've been looking at.

"Rick, the boss called me from DC ten minutes ago."

"He did, did he? What did our fearless leader have to say?"

"Rick you sure are full of piss and vinegar. And he's not going to like it. But he did tell me to pass this message on to you and I quote he said to get your ass back to DC or you're fired."

"Well I guess that sounds very fairly urgent."

Javi who would go to the ends of the Earth to protect his boss asked,

"Do you want me to go with you, Rick?"

"You know what Javi, I don't think you better be around me because it might not be that good for your career." Rick said as he picked up the headset for the phone to call DC.  
 _  
Back to 3018…_

Kate watched as Rick began throwing away his career.

"He's doing his job badly now. So much so that it leads to a conflict with his superiors."

Kate continues to watch the screen as Rick is called into a conference room to answer for his actions.

"Rick I've always backed you because I knew you were a good investigator, a competent one. I let your run with the reconstruction of the Triple 7 even if I couldn't see the reason. But you've turned up nothing new. two planes collided that was the end result here. But I still have to know what you expect to find."

"If I knew I wouldn't have to look so hard for it this crash has been weird. Watches that ran backward…"

One of the members of the committee asked,

"I thought you said that wasn't important."

"I didn't think so at the time but now I do. The cockpit tape, the navigator screaming they're all dead and burned…"

"Was it computer error or not?" Another member asked him.

Rick knew he was being pushed into telling them what they wanted to hear. So, he just shook his head and said yes. His boss looked at him and said,

"That's good Rick. Once we have your report stating that fact we can recommend getting the new software and anti-collision system installed in each plane. That's a big appropriation and the government is willing to spend the money to make it happen."

Rick was going to sound crazy he knew it but he had to tell them what happened in the hanger that night. He took two quick breaths to refresh his body, sat straight up in the chair and he started to tell them what happened.

"Something happening, in the hanger. I found something and I think it knocked me out. Then three women came in from out of nowhere and took it from me and now I know that they're watching my every move. I can feel it. They can go anywhere, look anywhere. There was this woman…" Rick took a deep breath and looked up at his boss. His boss couldn't look him in the eye knowing that he did really sound like he was crazy, so he got up and left.

Kate really felt bad for Rick but she did have a job to do. She looks away from the screen.

"Now Rick will go see Dr. Montgomery. Dr. Montgomery doesn't have all the answers yet, but he has one of these. Kate holds up the stunner that Madison lost in 1963.

"Castle has the initiator you put the two of them together and that spells paradox."

Kate watches the screen as Rick walks up to Dr. Montgomery's house. Montgomery who has it been expecting Rick tonight opens the door before he reached to ring the bell.

"Mr. Castle, come in. I've been expecting you…


	13. Chapter 13

As the image fades from the screen, Kate wipes a tear that traitorously falls down her cheek. The council member who's directly in front of her sees this and knows that Kate has a fondness for Richard Castle. Maybe, just maybe they might be able to do something about that. But it would need to be discussed by all six members beforehand.

"That's it. It's all temporal censorship from there on only little bits and pieces that don't tell us anything. But this means that I will go back, I can still stop the paradox if I go back right now!" Kate demanded.

 _Flashback to 2018 in Dr. Montgomery's living room…_

"The watches, the cockpit recording they could be important but it's hard to tell. But you say she didn't know you." Roy asked.

"That's right Roy, she said I looked like my pictures."

"Rick that's because she hasn't met you yet. Well, not then she didn't."

"Roy I just told you we spent the night together. It was the best sex of my life! Something I want to do again."

"Rick you're missing the point here, she finds you in the hanger on the night of the 5th. Then she returns to wherever she comes from and for reasons of her own, she returns on the 4th and in her reality she's meeting you for the first time from her point of view. She's traveling in time." Roy suggests.

"There has to be something other then what you're suggesting. This is the stuff of science fiction and wild imaginations! People just don't travel through time."

Roy walks over to Rick and asks him to follow him to his study.

"Rick there's something I have to show you, follow me. I've been working on a puzzle for over twenty-five years and I have a very strange feeling that you are the missing piece to that puzzle."

Rick turns white as a ghost when he sees what Roy has in his hand and all he has now or more questions than answers.

"Shit Roy that's it, where did you get that from? Better yet what is it?"

"From what I can tell it's got to be some kind of weapon."

 _Flashforward to 3018…_

 _Once again the loudspeaker crackles with a voice..._

"All systems green. Quantum jump authorized. All systems go. Two minutes, 2018 Baltimore solo, thirty seconds in duration." When the voice is done speaking the gate is powering up…

 _Flashback to 2018 in Roy Montgomery's living room…_

"All I want to do is find her Roy. I don't care about anything else, my job, the plane crash I just don't care anymore."

"Rick I think you'll see her again, sooner than you know."

"How would you know anything like that Roy, how?" Rick wanted to know.

Roy holds up the stunner and shows it to Rick to make his point.

"She'll be back for this. To her this is very important, to us, it means absolutely nothing. I have run tests over the years and I still can't tell you what it's made of. I know we can't make one now.

"Where'd you get it, Roy?"

"It was found in the wreckage of an L-1011 then crashed in Upstate New York in 1984."

All Rick could do was stare at Roy with narrowed eyes and a haunted look. He turned away from Roy trying to figure out what was going on in his head to put into words. He lifted his fist to his mouth and bit on his index finger trying to stop the pain he was feeling. But he knew he needs to tell Roy. Still facing away from Roy, he started to talk,

"I was on that plane." Rick said with certainty.

"That's impossible Rick the only survivor on that plane was a boy named…"

"Ruiseart Rodgers." Rick finished for Roy.

"When my mother remarried. I didn't like the name so I legally changed it to Richard Castle."

"This is incredible. Rick, what else can you remember?" Roy asked as he stepped up in front of him looking him right in the eyes.

"I don't think about it much Roy, it happened when I was a kid so I like to try and keep it out of my head."

"You've got to remember something, anything."

Rick turns away from Roy squeezes eyes closed and thanks for about a good minute before he comes with an answer.

"I don't remember the crash at all. Before that, I can remember people were shouting and screaming. I remember someone getting shot…"

"They found a gun with one shot fired it belonged to a mental patient who escaped and hijacked the plane."

"There was this lady…"

Rick looks away from Roy again and really scours his mind for the answers he's looking for. He's deep in thought when he remembers. He goes over it in his head once more to make sure he's right and then he turns back to Roy and says,

"Roy it was her! I remember everything now, she told me everything will be alright…"

"Rick she knew you were going to make it through the crash without dying."

"But what about her? Why didn't she die in the crash?"

"Rick she got off the plane some way. But she left this behind and she's going to want it back."

"After 25 years?"

"In our time Rick, but in her time I'm sure she just lost it yesterday. This is the key Rick. It's something that shouldn't be here. We're living in her past. If she changes her past or if she creates a paradox then her world will be destroyed. I can guarantee you, Rick, you'll be seeing more of Kate Baltimore."

 _Flashforward to 3018…_

The platform raises up to meet the gate with Sherman and Kate standing on it. Kate looks over Sherman and says what's on her mind.

"Sherman I might not make it back."

"You will be back."

Kate just looks at him and smiles because he knows that she will be coming back.

The loudspeaker crackles to life one more time and says...

Thirty seconds, Baltimore, 2018, leaving in 3, 2, 1, Kate steps through the gate leaving 3018 behind.

 _Flashback to 2018 in Roy Montgomery's living room..._

Rick pulls out the initiator that he held onto in the hanger and shows it to Roy.

"This came off of mine Roy."

Just as Roy took the initiator from Rick the gate appeared in the middle of his living room and Kate walks through. Rick and Roy who were shielding their eyes from the light of the gate lower their hands when the gate disappears and the room returns to normal.

"You two know too much already and I don't have much time but I will try and answer your questions. But before I do Dr. Montgomery, I'm going to have to take that back from you." Kate says.

Roy swallows hard before he makes his next statement.

"You take people off of planes before they crash don't you?"

"We replace what we take with dead bodies." Kate answers sadly.

During their conversation, Rick moves over to where Kate was. She looks him in the eye and he looks into hers and says,

"I'm glad you came back."

The attraction is undeniable. Rick plants his lips on Kate and kisses her if she would disappear from him again. When the kiss is over to Kate buries her head in the cove of his neck taking in his scent holding onto him.

Roy still needing answers has another question.

"But the relatives identified the bodies."

"They identified the wrong people. We duplicate them, fingerprints, dental records, they even look like their doubles. We're very good and what we do." Kate said still pressed against Rick's shoulder barely audible.

"Then you are from the future?" Rick asks.

"Yeah, Rick, about a thousand years in the future."

"It must be incredible. It must be horrible." Roy says.

It's awful. We're all dying. We can make the bodies but we can't make the souls. We can't have children anymore so we steal people from the past and send them somewhere else to start over with a fresh life.

Kate looks to Rick and says,

"We give them a second chance."

Turning back to Roy she says,

"Dr. Montgomery I have to take the stunner back with me. It could cause a paradox."

Roy knows that this will be something he can't let go of he knew that he was right. When Kate turns back to Rick, he starts formulating a plan.

"I'm going back with you."

"You can't Rick. Haven't you heard anything I just said?"

"You said you were dying, so am I."

"Rick the whole race is dying, all of humanity." Roy points out.

Rick turns to look at Roy and says,

"We're all dying all that matters is right now, in this moment."

Kate wants to so badly take him back with her but she can't.

"Rick I can't take you back with me. I can't take anything back with me that will be missed."

"No one's going to miss me, Kate." Rick says.

Kate knows it's useless to argue with him so she steps back from Rick and looks at Roy. Roy who now has a plan in his head waits for her to move.

"The stunner Dr. Montgomery that's what I came back for."

Roy looks over at Kate with her extended hand and smiles an evil smile when he says,

"I knew I was right."

He takes the initiator that Rick gave him earlier and the stunner that he has and inserts initiator back into the stunner.

Kate screams out as he starts to join the two pieces together.

"Nooooo."

The second she does and he makes the connection, the stunner that was set to kill does just that. Roy falls onto the ottoman dead. Kate rushes over and feels for his pulse. Rick puts his hand on his chest. They both come to the same conclusion.

"He's dead." Kate says. "The paradox has happened…."


	14. Chapter 14

Kate gets up from Roy's body and looks at him knowing that her time here will be shorter than she had anticipated. She needs to leave this time before she can't.

Rick can only watch her as she goes into self-preservation mode. She takes the stunner that Roy was still holding in his hand and steps back from them.

"I gotta get out of here!"

Rick not wanting her to leave grabs her hand hard knowing that if she does leave she'll have to take him with her.

"Take me with you, Kate."

Regaining some of her senses about what just happened right in front of her, Kate turns back to face Rick and gives him a skeptical look. She thinks about it for about two seconds and then she keys the mike for the communicator resting on her shoulder.

"Sherman, send the gate!"

Rick turns his head as the gate appears right in front of him. It's bright but he can take it without shielding his eyes. Kate starts to walk away from him until she stops right at the edge of the bright light. She extends her hand and tells him,

"Watch the first step, it's a killer!"

He takes her hand and they run the remaining steps out of Roy's living room and into the bright light of the gate towards 3018.

Rich didn't watch that first step because when he went through the gate he was instantly propelled through it and shoved out the other side. Kate who was used to this happening stopped short and stayed upright when she arrived while Rick flew out onto the catwalk and landed on his stomach right in front of Sherman's feet in a heap. All Rick could do was look at the size of the shoes this thing was wearing and then look up. He had to be about seven feet tall. He also heard from some annoying loudspeaker above him

 _"Time Quake Force Infinity."_

As Rick looked up at Sherman's face he kept his eyes trained on him.

Sherman looks down and knew who he was looking at but decided to play with him a little anyway.

"Mr. Castle, I presume?"

Kate who watched the whole exchange laughs a little and to herself. Sherman can be intimidating at the least. She walks over to Rick picks him up by his armpits and then comes face-to-face which Sherman. The world he's in now is falling apart around them and the structure they're on is unstable.

"Come on Rick we need to move now."

Kate says and she runs down the catwalk to the ladder. After running through a maze of catwalks and ladders, less than a minute later they were in the control room where Coventry rolls his wheelchair over to her as she comes in.

"Montgomery's work would have changed the course of history. He wasn't supposed to die for six more years."

"I tried to stop it but I was too late." Kate tells him.

"It doesn't matter Kate because it's all over now. The paradox is here." Coventry looks over to Rick with a pissed off look on his face. He wants to let him know he messed all of this up and tells him so.

"If you left this alone none of this would have happened. We were keeping people alive! Now it all has to end because you couldn't leave it alone.

"I did what I had to do."

"I bet you did. Well take a good look around you, this world is done with and it's all over because of what you did."

The council members voice comes to life over the loudspeaker. Kate recognizes it immediately.

"Our world has come to an end. All evidence of our existence will be washed away. We must attempt to send those who we have saved into a distant future that may lie beyond the gate. Coventry reverse the gate!"

Rick looks at Kate with a disbelieving look on his face and she, in turn, looks at Coventry. He knows what he has to do next and it will end his life in the process. With the way the control room and the rest of where they are being shaken insanely, Coventry makes one last request of everyone in the room.

"Get out! Get out, everybody get out now."

Coventry turns to Kate and looks at her with a very sad look on his face.

"Go, Kate, get him out of here." He told her softly

Coventry gives her a small smile and raises his hand Kate walks over and grasps his hand knowing this will be the last time they see each other ever again. He gives her a look of longing and when she releases his hand she nods. Coventry looks to Rick and motions his head to follow Kate as she leaves the control room.

When they reach the main floor Rick sees a very long sphere suspended in thin air and it's spinning over what looks like a reflecting pool of water.

The council members have agreed that this will be their last order and announce that they will release all the people who have been taken from all the flights that were about to crash.

 _"You will awake now. You will remain calm. You will be guided by one of our people but remember to remain calm."_ Is heard over the loudspeaker.

People who have been held in protected rooms wake from a deep sleep. As they are waking up a majority of the people who are in this world are organizing them to head towards the gate.

Back in the control room, Coventry activated the sphere that is floating above the water. From it comes a very bright like yellow sun. Just as he secures the activation program, a live wire dangling from the ceiling touches his wheelchair and electrocutes him then he slumps over dead in his wheelchair.

The holding rooms for being as large as they are being kept away from where the gate actually was and people are starting to walk to a Mayan stone shaped building to be transported by the gate. Kate and Rick who are now watching the people walk towards the gate come down a set of stairs and stand at the bottom of them.

"Kate where are all these people going?"

"Rick these people are the ones that we saved from airplanes that were going to crash. When they enter the gate, they will be given a second chance at a better life. One that is not anything like what we have here."

Sherman, Kate and eventually Rick start guiding the people up the catwalk and into the light.

"Single file, please walk into the light." Kate tells the people as they pass her going up the ramp.

She hears Rick when he jumps right in and starts saying the same statement she just said.

"You'll be alright, single file walk into the light." Kate looks at him as he says this and she lets a small smile adorn her face. He's a natural.

The council who are stuck in glass tubes living only by life support decide that their end has come.

"Our work is finished here. I move that we adjourn." The female council member announces.

"Seconded." Comes from the council member to her right.

The council of six in total all self-destruct in a fiery self-contained explosion within their glass encasements. The explosion that set off numerous additional explosions within the control room and across from where Kate and Rick were standing. The last of the passengers from the flights were climbing up onto the ramp. When the last woman did so, Kate looked across to Rick.

"Time to go Rick." Kate said as she started to climb up the ladder with Rick following her close behind.

 _"The gate will be destroyed in two minutes"_ Came the announcement over the loudspeaker.

"Kate, what happens when the gate is destroyed?" Rick asked as they reach the top of the ladder.

Kate stops right beside Sherman and he answers his question.

"When the gate is destroyed, it's like the equivalent to a nuclear explosion. It will wipe out all that you see around you."

Kate lets Rick walk forward when he sees the bright yellow light. She gently urges him towards it with a hand on his shoulder. He moves to within five feet of the gate as she and Sherman watch him. He turns not sure that this is what he should be doing until Kate tells him,

"Step through Rick."

"We do it together or I don't go at all."

"Rick you have to. None of us can go. Only you can go."

"Like I said before I'm not going!"

Sherman who'd been watching the entire exchange of words leaned near Kate's side and said,

"Take a chance Kate, go with him."

She was torn. She loved him and she's pretty sure that he loved her too. But did she have the courage to step through the gate with him?"

Sherman who had a vast knowledge of every possible time past and future gave Kate one last bit of information to help her decide.

"Kate you will have his child."

Kate whipped her head to look at Sherman not believing what she just heard.

"Sherman, you know that's impossible. We can't have babies."

"How do you know? The only way you will find out is to step through with him."

She looked at Rick and he raised his hand for her and something just clicked in her mind. She walked up to him and kissed him. Rick took her into his arms and they both looked over to Sherman….


	15. Chapter 15

"Sherman come with us." Kate asked the tin man.

"Kate there is no place for me where you are going. You know this."

Kate just looked at him and willed him to reconsider with her eyes. He would have none of that.

"Go, now Kate."

Kate gives one last look to Sherman and then takes Rick's hand. They both walk through the gate and then are gone.

Sherman just looks to where they were and is happy that they did leave. The gate is ramping up as the timer comes closer to expiring. Then Sherman thinks of something and he hopes Kate is still in tune with him. Just before the detonation happens he finishes his thought and then the gate explodes and he is vaporized. He knows it can't happen since he is a machine equipped without emotion but he thinks that a tear ran down his steel cheek before he died.

Kate and Rick stepped through the gate and were met with air that is breathable and pure, nothing that she is used to from where she came from. Rick looks at her and can see that leaving with her was the best decision he's ever made in his life.

 _This is not the end… this is not the beginning of the end… it is the end of the beginning_.

Kate heard this in her head and knew that it came from Sherman before he ceased to exist. It was like they were still connected. Once his voice ended she knew that he was gone.

She looked out at the rising sun and wondered what they were going to face next. Was she going to have Rick's child? She sure hoped she would. But how could Sherman ever know something like that? Like he said there was only one way to find out…

"So Rick do you want to see where our new world will take us?"

"Kate I'd thought you'd never ask…

~Fin~


End file.
